Mail-box.



a. .m iwl 5 em" TeFsbegge I No'."'833, 856. PATBNTED OUT. 23, 1906.

H. 'TERSTEGGE.

MAIL BOX.-

v xrrnwrnon 11.21) DBO. 29. 1005.

Witnesses. Inventor:

At tlys.

rs nuns 00.. wAsRluoroN, n. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT clarion.

I HENRY'TERSTEGGE, OF NEW ALBANY,-INDIANA. Mmuaox.

Specification of Lettersv Patent.

Pateniued. Oct. 23, 1906.

A li ati n filed December 29, 1905. Serial No. 293,775.

of this specification, in which Fi ure 1 is a front elevational view of a mailbox embodying the features of my invention, and Fig.2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig.- 1.

I Thisinvention relates to mail-boxes, and particularly to -mail-boxes that are used for the rural free delivery.

One of the objects of my invention is to provideamail-box having a mail-receiving opening and amail-discharge opening extending approximately the full lengthof the box, said .boxbeing also provided with a projecting canopy which rotects the mail-receiving opening andalso t e front of the box from di-. rect, contact with the'weather.

Another object of my invention is to pro- -vide a mail-box having a signal whic is moved automatically into operative position whenevermail is deposited in the box and which is returned automatically into inc 1 erative position'whenever the door of the ox is opened to remove the mail.

1 Other desirable features of my invention will be hereinafter pointedlout.

Referring to the drawings, which represent the preferred form of my. invention, 1 designates a plate that forms the back and the top of the box. The bottom ofthe box consists of a plate 9, to which the late 1 is attached, and also the plates 3, w ich form the end walls of the box, said plates being preferably formed of sheet metal. The end plates are provided with flanges 4, and the end edges of the plate 1 are bent around said flanges, as shown in Fig. 1, to form a tight joint. While I have herein shown the end walls of the box as consisting of separate plates, it should be understood that the end walls and top could be formed of a single plate. The endwalls support a rod 5, which acts as a hinge for the plate 6, that forms a door which extends the full length of the box, and said end walls also support a rock-shaft 7, having rigidly connected thereto a plate 8, which forms a closure for the mail-opening, the plate 1 being of the. form shown in Fig. 2 and extending some distance beyond the door 6, so thata canopy is provided which protects the hinge of the doorfrom direct contact with the weather,- and thus prevents snow and ice forming thereon and also protects the door which forms the front of the boxand which usually has the name of the owner stamped thereon. This device for sheltering the mail-opening and also the front'of the box is one of the most def sirable features of my invention, as it prevents theclosure for the mail-receiving opening and also the closure for the' discharge-opening.

from freezing tight in extremely cold and sleety weather As the door is protected,'it will not become covered with snow or ice, which would obliterate the owners' name stamped thereon and cause-it to soon wear off. The mail-receiving opening and the mailedischarge opening, which, as previously stated, extend the full length of the box, enable large packages-such, for example, as ma azinesto be placed in the box and also faci itatestheremoval of the contents of the box. Preferably the bottom plate 9 has fastened thereto a spring-catch 10, which engages the edge of arecess- 11 in the. doorzand retains it in 1ts closed position. The box is mounted on a board 2, which is adapted to be fastened to a post or other support, and said board has a recess 12 formed therein to provide for the, movement ofthe catch, the catch being provided withan opening'13 for receiving. a padlock or other suitable fastening device. (Not shown.) The right-hand end ofthe rock-shaft 7 is provided with an extension 14, having attached thereto a plate 15, which constitutes a signal. When the closure-plate 8 is in its normal position for, closing the mail-opening in .thebox, formed by the projecting portion of the plate 1, the edge portion of said closure-plate rests upon the upper edge of the door 6, and the signal occupies its inoperative position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.. t i v The operation of inserting a piece of mail in the mail-opening in the box causes the closure-plate to be rocked upwardly, and thereby automatically moving the signal into its operative position, (shown by dotand-dash lines in Fig. 2,) and thus either notif 'ng the owner of the box that mail has been eposited therein or else notifyingthe mailcarrier that the owner-of the box has placed some mail therein which he desires to have collected, the weight of said signal and clo- I ically into and out of operative position, so

,tive position, the closure-plate 8 will engage a hook 16, fastened to the door 6, so that as substantially as described.

sure-plate retaining the closure-plate in its open position and the signal in its operatlve position. When the signal is in its operasaid door is swung outwardly to permit the mail to be removed from the box said hook will engage the closure-plate and will move it downwardly to restore it to normal position, thereby automatically moving the sig nal back into its inoperative position.

From the foregoing description it will be seenthat I have produced a mail-box which is of very simple construction, which has a canopy for protecting mail-receiving and mail-discharge openings, and which is pro vided with a signal that is moved automatthat a great deal of time is saved to the mailcarrier, {as no additional movement is required to throw the signal into or out of position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1.. A mail-box provided with a top which extends some distance beyond the front wall of the box to form a canopy and a mailreceiving opening extending the full length of the box, a movable plate for covering said opening, a mail-discharge opening extending the full length of the box, and a door for said opening, said canopy protecting the plate for the mail-receiving opening and also said door from direct contact with the weather 2. A mail-box provided with a closureplate and a door, a signal connected to said closure-plate and adapted to be moved into one position whenever said closure-plate is opened, and a hook on said door for engaging said closure-plate to move the signal into a different position as said door is opened; substantially as described.

3. A mail-box provided with a closureplate, a signalwhich is moved into one posil tion as said closure-plate is opened, a door and means carried by said door for returnin I the closure-plate to its closed position and l also moving the signal into adifferent position when said door is opened; substantially as described.

4. A mail-box provided with a closureplate, a signal connected to said plate and adapted to move therewith, a door, and means carried by said door for engaging the closure-plate when. it is open and moving it into its closed position as the door is opened; substantially as described 5. A mail-box having end walls, a door fulcrumed on a rod carried by said walls, a rock-shaft carried by said. end walls and having a closure-plate rigidly connected thereto, a signal connected to said rod and. occupying one position when the closureplate is open, and means carried by said door for engaging the closure-plate and rocking it downwardly whenever said door is opened; substantially as described.

6. A mail-box having end walls, a door pivotally connected to said walls, a plate forming the back and top of said box and extending beyond said door to form a mailopening, a closure-plate for said opening secured to a rock-shaft that is journalcd in. said end walls, and a signal secured to said rock-shaft substantially as described.

7. A mail-box having a bottom and provided with end walls, a door pivotally connected to said end walls, a plate forming the back and top of said box and extending beyond the door to form a mail-opening, a closure-plate carried by a rock-shaft for closing said opening, a signal fastened to said shaft and adapted to be moved into one position whenever the closure-plate is rocked upwardly, a hook carried by the door for engaging the closure-plate and rocking it downwardly whenever the door is moved outwardly, and means for holding the door closed substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ailix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 9th day of December, 1905.

HENRY TERSTEGGE.

Witnesses:

J. M. STUTZ, F. J. THOBEN. 

